Pup Pup Matchmakers!
Ever since Estela was rescued from the Arcane Renegades and the Arctic was saved, Centurion has been quite the curious one. He's been asking his mother quite a few sensitive questions. He wanted to know about his father Adelrik, the group known as Perseverance, the Veritates, and what Estela has been through in the past eighteen years she spent searching for him. She doesn't mind answering these questions, but every time Adelrik comes up... She just can't handle it...
Centurion only wants his mother to be happy. He figures out that Estela has a vacant space in her heart... One that was occupied by the deceased Adelrik. So, Centurion urges his mother to try to meet new guys and fill that vacancy... When Estela doesn't know where to even begin, her Weimaraner-Shepherd son gets an idea...
Centurion recruits the aid of the PAW Patrol to help him find the perfect canine man for Estela Veritate. When all seemed to be hopeless for the endeavor, enter the Trainee, Arika and her heartbroken single father, Jiemba.
Here's another hour-long special... XD
This episode takes place in the Tundra-Centurion Crossover AU.
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Scene 1: Estela's Adventure Bay Apartment
Almost a week had passed since Estela Veritate was rescued from the clutches of Salvotor and the Arcane Renegades. With the help of the PAW Patrol, Estela had been healed of her wounds, and was given an apartment in Adventure Bay, one that was paid for in full by Centurion and the PAW Patrol. She currently has no permanent occupation, however she does create marvelous works of art that she displays in her apartment. Paint brushes, pastels, colored pencils, and all sorts of artistic equipment litter her workshop. She once drew a photograph-like picture of what Adelrik would have looked like, if he were still alive, alongside Estela herself and Centurion... Of course, she keeps that tucked into her bedside cabinet.
The White Shepherd was sitting on her bed, observing the drawing with tears slowly streaming down her face when her ears perked up as she heard a knock on the door. She quickly wiped her tears away and called out. "Coming!!" Her hands were covered with charcoal, so she hastily washed her hands and went to answer. She opened the door, and there stood her son... The tall, broad Weimaraner-Shepherd, Centurion.
"Good morning, Mom." He smirked as he gave her a great, big hug.
"Centurion Wächter-Veritate..." She groaned as Centurion entered the apartment, leaning against the granite counter top of the kitchen. "What time is it?"
Centurion was munching on an apple when he glanced at the digital clock over the stove. "Six eighteen?" he replied with a mouth full of fruit.
"Di Mattina!" Estela snapped in Italian. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"Why are you awake?" Centurion smirked back, swallowing the apple he was chewing as he walked over to his mother and stood towering over her.
Estela rolled her eyes and replied, "I don't care how big you get, I can still kick your tail."
Centurion chuckled a bit. "Yeah, love you too, Mom..." He said before kissing the White Shepherd on the cheek. "But... I've got a question for ya... More of a story, really..."
"Oh?" Estela tilted her head as she went over to the living area and sat on the couch. Sunlight poured in from the wall-height windows with a sliding glass door leading to a balcony outside. Centurion sat down next to her. "Do ask then..."
Centurion wore a serious look on his face as he asked, "I want to know about Dad... And Perseverance... The Veritates? Why did they give me up? How did you keep escaping to meet with Dad every day?"
"Woah, slow down, Centurion!" Estela giggled as she pushed on her son's shoulders, making him sit back down once again. "Wh-... Where is this coming from?!"
"I want to know..." Centurion said. "I never knew my father. I never knew anything. I just woke up and found myself in a car being driven to who-knows-where, and then I found myself in that shelter. It has been eighteen years, Mom..."
Estela was quiet for a moment... An immense presence of guilt still weighed heavy over her heart... She had just turned twenty years old when she gave birth to Centurion... Adelrik was twenty-one, but he was a natural-born leader... He led the stray gang Perseverance. "Perseverance... Was a group of one hundred and one strays... One stray led the other one hundred..."
"Dad." Centurion said.
"Yes..." Estela nodded. She looked down at the ground in despair... The very memories burned her mind and inflicted immense emotional pain... "The Veritates... My family.. They were rich... Extremely wealthy... And the adults looked down upon the other social classes... The children were kind and generous... They were really the ones who took care of me..." She explained. "I escaped, yes... But not entirely on my own... The Veritate children and teenagers helped me escape... Truth is, they knew about Adelrik, but feared he'd be put down if they rescued him from the streets of Rome..."
Centurion listened with great intent to the story that Estela was relaying to him. It was clear that the entire ordeal bothered his mother greatly. She fought back tears with all her might. "Mom, you don't have to keep going if you don't want to..." Centurion said as he went to grab a few tissues for Estela. Instead, she grabbed his wrist and placed it back down on his knee. Centurion glared at his mother with a worried look...
"Then... Perseverance protected us... They made sure no one knew about Adelrik and me..." She continued to explain. "And when I became pregnant with you, they were overjoyed... The bunch of ecstatic misfits... They were the saddest bunch of strays to look at, but they had the biggest hearts in all of Europe... Jindrich... Dasya... Giorgi... LaNessa... Beauregard... D'Arcangelo... So many more... I loved each of them dearly, and it pained me to see them as Adelrik..." She couldn't bring herself to say it... She couldn't force the words out of her mouth... 'see them as Adelrik died'... was what she was supposed to say... But she never did.
"Mom..." sighed Centurion ."I'm sorry... You've gotta stop..."
"No..." Estela sniffled. "You have to know sooner or later..." As she sniffled once again, she continued to explain, even though it hurt her son to see her tear up and begin to cry. "I gave birth to you at a fountain outside the Colosseum... Next to Adelrik's dying body... Surrounded by the canines of Perseverance... They helped me evade dog catchers and get back to the Veritates... The children of the Veritates loved you so much... They instantly took a liking to you... To my surprise, the husband and wife welcomed me back with open arms, but little did I know... When we returned to the U.S., they took you from me while we slept... And... You know the rest... I spent the next eighteen years scouring the country for you..."
"Thank you, Mom..." Centurion murmured as he looked down... He felt a slight tug on his sleeve, and gazed back at his mother, only to stare in shock as he watched his mother with a deeply saddened face... Eyes narrowed with rivers of tears flowing down her beauteous young face... Her ears were down, and she bore her teeth, sniffling a few times as she tried to speak.
"A-... Adelrik..." She sniffled. "A-A-Adelrik would h-have..." She sniffled once again. "Loved you!" Estela exclaimed those last words as she broke down into tears, clenching the shirt of her son as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He slowly rocked from side-to-side in a soothing motion to comfort the White Shepherd.
Centurion gently nuzzled Estela as he replied, "I know, Mom... I know..." He could feel it... She was too pained by the loss of one mate... There was a vacancy in her heart. One that can only be filled by another spouse... Most of her heart was dedicated to Centurion, after searching for him for eighteen years, she didn't want to lose him again... "Mom... Promise me you'll do something for me..."
Estela sniffled, and replied, "Anything, my son..."
"Promise me you'll be happy... Even if that means finding a nice guy for yourself..." This made Estela push Centurion away and glare at him with astonished and puzzled blue eyes.
Wh-... Where did that come from?!" She exclaimed. "My only concern is you, Centurion... My heart has room for only you..." She said as she hugged her son once more.
"Mom, you're not happy like that, and I only want you to be happy." Centurion smiled as he took a slight grasp of his mother's shoulders, and looked her dead in the eyes. "Promise me you'll try to find someone?"
Estela sniffled at this. "I... I don't even know where do begin!" exclaimed the White Shepherd. "Will I even truly love this new man like I did Adelrik?"
"You just have to look, Mom..." Centurion said. "Promise me you'll at least try? Who knows? This guy might need you just as much as you need him... He could be a... Single guy whose last marriage ended in a similar fashion!" Estela gave her son a sharp glare as she growled at Centurion for a few seconds. Centurion chuckled and added with a smile, "Alright, maybe not a similar fashion, but you get the idea!"
Estela rolled her eyes and smirked at Centurion. "Alright." She sighed.
Suddenly... An idea emerged from the ingenious mind of Centurion. He smirked at his mother, kissed her on the forehead and made his way towards the door after standing up. "Good. Love you, Mom!"
"Love you too, Centurion..." Estela replied. As Centurion left the apartment building, he got on his gleaming, colorless motorcycle and revved the engines. He smirked as he pulled a u-turn and made his way towards the Lookout... He knew exactly what he was going to do, and how to do it... He wondered if Tundra was available...
Scene 2: The Observation Deck of the Lookout
(Scene Change: Centurion's Badge)
As Centurion rode towards the Lookout, he wore a devious grin on his face. Just the very thought of what he was going to do filled him with a feeling of enjoyment... It's always so fun to do something bad... Even if what you're doing is actually out of the good of your heart, but is still somewhat bad, if that makes sense. Those very thoughts coursed through Centurion's mind. As he parked his motorcycle in the loop surrounding the tower, his eyes flared with confidence and devious determination. He hastily got off his bike and rushed inside the Lookout.
When Centurion reached the observation deck of the Lookout, he burst through the glass doors and announced, "Pups!! We have a situation!!"
Shocking the rest of the PAW Patrol, they turned to him with confused glares and looks of great interest in what he has to say. "What kind of situation?" Everest asked as she tilted her head.
"A love situation..." smirked the Weimaraner-Shepherd. Centurion turned to the side to see a cocoa husky decked out in an all-black attire. Black shorts, and button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a black fedora with a reddish-pink rose on it, black thigh-high stocking with trims of the same reddish-pink hue. On the right-side chest was a white snowflake inside a reddish-pink heart.
Tundra smirked devilishly from underneath her fedora. "Someone call Match-Maker Tundra?" She asked. Centurion complimented her with a simply smirk of equal deviousness. "What do you have in mind, Centurion?"
As the PAW Patrol pups directed their attention towards Centurion, he began his explanation. "As we know, we recently rescued my mother from some Baddy-McBaddersons... As some of you know, I have no father... He's dead... Now, my mother's got this hole in her heart, and it's real depressing to see her the way that she is..."
"So what do you propose that we do?" Chase asked.
Centurion smirked once again as he replied, "We're gonna play Matchmakers and find her the perfect guy..."
"Yes!!!" exclaimed Frostbound. "Finally, some love action!" He cheered as he and Tundra gave each other a high-five. "I'll be right back!!!" The Malamute exclaimed as he rushed to the elevator and made his way to the ground floor.
Centurion smirked and rolled his eyes before addressing the PAW Patrol once again with Tundra by his side. "So, here's the plan... We interview some guys in town who are single and looking for a partner, and, if they're good enough, we can introduce them to my mother, and see where it goes from there... Some super-secret spy stuff!"
"Wow, we're a bunch of stalkers then." Steelbeam commented.
Centurion and Tundra laughed for a moment. "Nah, we won't be stalkers." Tundra smiled. "Those guys are single and looking too, so it'll be fine!"
"Should we hang up flyers?" Marshall asked. This earned him a chorus of laughter from the other pups.
"That's a great idea!!" Arabella exclaimed. "PAW Patrol Matchmakers, to the rescue!"
"I can do background checks on each of our candidates!" Nicasia suggested. She is the Intelligence Pup, so she can run background checks on anyone.
A few moments later, Frostbound stepped out of the elevator wearing a similar outfit to Tundra, fedora, shirt and all, just with full pants instead of shorts and stockings, and his shirt was unbuttoned and he wore no undershirt, exposing his muscular abdomen. On the right-side chest was Frostbound's own Pup Tag symbol inside a red heart. "What did I miss?" Frostbound asked as he finished rolling up his right sleeve.
Scene 3: Streets of Adventure Bay - The Singles' Hangout
(Scene Change: Tundra's Badge)
A few moments later, Centurion found himself wearing a similar outfit to Frostbound, He stared awkwardly at the loose red tie that he was wearing. Tundra had dragged Skye and Everest along into this endeavor, and they dragged Chase and Rocky into it. The seven of them were casually walking down the street in Adventure Bay, along the sidewalk bordering the beach. As the seven of them walked down the sidewalk, they received quite a few awkward glances from the citizens of the town, wondering why these pups are wearing this strange get-up.
"Alright, Tundra, you're the expert, how would you go about this?" Chase complained whilst struggling with his neck-trap. Skye took the liberty to fix Chase's tie as they walked.
Tundra rolled her eyes and replied, "I know a place... There's a hangout I know of where all the single canines in town like to spend their time, maybe even get a date or something..." She turned around to face the German Shepherd, now with his tie looking a lot neater than it was and said, "And I'm not the expert. That's Frostbound right here." Tundra smirked as she patted the Malamute's chest. Frostbound boasted a confident smirk, holding his chin up high.
As the seven pups crossed the street and made their way to this hangout that Tundra was talking about, Centurion grabbed all of their collars and pulled them into a nearby alley while exclaiming, "Oh shoot!!" When they were out of sight, Tundra, Skye, and Everest all slapped him. "Ow...?" Centurion raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What was that for?"
The three girls simply stared angrily at the Weimaraner-Shepherd whilst covering their chests with their arms. "You figure it out..." Skye growled. "You were so close..."
Centurion rolled his eyes. "Never mind that!!" He peeked around the corner to see a White Shepherd strolling down the street in their general direction. "My mother's here..." He said as Estela opened a glass door and entered a bakery. "Thank God... She's only getting bread..."
"Okay..." Rocky said. "I don't see a problem. Why can't your mother see us?"
"Because she doesn't know that we're doing this!" Centurion snapped back in a whisper-yell. This caused great distress for the other six pups, and their facial expressions clearly displayed it.
"You tell us now?!" Skye snapped.
Chase added to the bombardment. "I think you should've at least told us that beforehand, Centurion!"
"It's fine, it might come as a surprise to her if we introduce her to a nice guy..." Centurion sighed as Estela exited the bakery and made her way back to her apartment. The seven pups hastily left the alleyway, and made a quick walk to the hangout... When she said it was a hangout, it was literally a hangout. The place was reminiscent of a 70's and 80's style diner. Jukeboxes, a dance floor, a whole section for smoothies... This place was awesome!!
"Hello, everyone!" Tundra exclaimed as she entered the place, followed by the other six pups. Many of the customers quickly turned their heads towards the cocoa husky wearing her black and red outfit.
There was an awkward silence for a moment, until many of the canines stood up and cheered, "Tundra!!" All activities ceased at this moment as the canines crowded around Tundra and her friends, thanking her for pairing them up with their soul mates.
"Thank you, Tundra!" An Australian shepherd male smiled. "We really hit it off, and we're going on a second date!"
"That's good to hear!" replied Tundra.
A Cocker Spaniel girl was jumping up and down. "We're getting engaged, Tundra!!" She cheered. "Thank you!!" Her, and many other canines frantically thanked Tundra.
"This is... Weird..." Chase chuckled as he was pushed against Skye.
"She's got a business going!" Skye laughed. Everest laughed along with the Cockapoo.
As Tundra shook hands with grateful canine after grateful canine, she somehow got the ecstatic crowd to calm down. "Alright, everyone..." She announced while gesturing to Centurion. "This... Is Centurion Watcher-Verity!"
"It's 'Wächter-Veritate'." Centurion whispered to her. "Vakht-ter... Ver as in where, Tate as in tater tots..."
"Centurion Wächter-Veritate!" Tundra blushed in embarrassment as she corrected herself. "His father is dead, and his mother, Estela Veritate, is single and looking! She has a vacancy in her heart, and we're looking for the perfect guy for her!" When she said 'Estela Veritate', as in the rich White Shepherd of the Veritate family, all of the eyes of the crowd widened in surprise.
The crowd made their way back to their seats as the seven PAW Patrol pups walked away from the doors and took a more centralized position in the building. "Okay... What's she like?" One canine man asked.
"She just turned 38 years old, and she's very considerate! Extremely kind, a wonderful cook, a fantastic artist, and she's very beautiful! She's a take-charge individual" Centurion said with a serious tone on her face. "This is such an important job, that Tundra actually needs help..."
Tundra rolled her eyes and replied, "Yeah, remind me not to let you advertise for me..." This erupted a wave of laughter from the customers in the hangout. "Estela Veritate needs someone, and she may need you just as much as you need her!" The cocoa brown husky stood atop a table as she announced this.
Centurion stepped up next to Tundra, standing on the table. "If you too have a vacancy that was once occupied by a former lover, and you think you've got what it takes to be with my mother, then come forth for an interview!"
At this moment, a whole other crowd of single canine guys surrounded this table, eager to be interviewed. Chase, Skye, Rocky, and Everest wore shocked and surprised expressions. Frostbound simply laughed, and Centurion and Tundra simply wore Machiavellian smirks as they glanced at each other for a moment, then back at the energetic group of canines eager to meet Estela.
Scene 4: The Singles' Hangout - Streets of Adventure Bay
(Scene Change: Frostbound's Badge)
Thankfully, the owner of the restaurant and hangout met his wife thanks to Tundra, so he allowed her and her friends to interview each of these seventy single canine guys. Each of the seven PAW Patrol pups were sat at 7 individual tables, each with a crowd of ten guys surrounding them. Each PAW Patrol Matchmaker was equipped with a notebook, a photo of Estela, and a whole set of questions put together by Centurion to assess each of these guys to see if they're fit to be Estela's new squeeze.
"What do you like to do in your free time?" Centurion asked one of the clients.
"How many wives and/or partners did you have in the past?" asked Skye.
"Do you have any children from another marriage?" Chase proposed the question.
Frostbound leaned back in his chair, twirling his pen when he asked, "You are aware that if you mistreat Miss Estela Veritate in any way, you will have the PAW Patrol descend upon you with full force?"
Everest cleared her throat and proposed the question, "Do you like to star gaze, read, take long walks on the beach, and stuff of the sort?"
"Do you mind that your potential partner has a teenage son?" Rocky asked. Those were only seven among dozens of questions asked by the PAW Patrol Matchmakers Crew. At the beginning of each interview, the pups asked for their full names, and those names were sent to Nicasia, who was at the Lookout doing background searches on all of them. If anything suspicious came up, she'd let the Matchmakers know. When each interview came to an end, the pups would say, 'Thank you for your time! We'll get back to you when we can, and with this information, we can still find the perfect match for you!'
The PAW Patrol Matchmakers were in the hangout for about two hours. Frostbound's feet had frozen and cracked the black-and-white tile flooring where he was sat due to his icy mutation. He wore an annoyed expression, completely void of amusement as he heard the tiles crack. He complained under his breath. After the seven Matchmakers left the restaurant and hangout, they walked along the sidewalks towards the Lookout.
As they walked silently, they all wore worried looks on their faces. Centurion walked with his hands behind his head. "So... How'd it go, guys?"
"There were some I liked!" Skye exclaimed in an attempt to brighten the mood.
"Yeah... Same..." said a reluctant Chase.
Frostbound rolled his eyes and blatantly stated, "They were all bad matches."
Tundra's eyes widened as she nodded. "Oh yeah... They were all really bad matches..." She sighed as she turned to Centurion. "Just proves how unique your mother is since finding the best match is this difficult..."
Their Pup Tags began to ring. The call was from Nicasia. When they answered, albeit hesitantly, Rocky said, "Hey, Nicasia. What's up?"
"While I didn't find anything suspicious, a lot of them are working a lot... Which means they won't spend a lot of time with Miss Estela over there..." Nicasia explained. "They'd basically be the working husbands who are out all day..."
"Fan-tastic..." sighed a sarcastic Centurion. He eventually decided he didn't want to wear his Matchmaker outfit anymore that day. Skye, being proactive, had brought all previous outfits in a bag, so after a quick stop at a gas station restroom, Centurion and the other six pups were back in their regular clothing. While they continued to walk down the street, two other PAW Patrol members approached them. A gray Weimaraner girl holding the hand of a scarred and burned lemon-spotted Dalmatian. The two were laughing at something when they noticed the other pups.
The Weimaraner girl, Arika, had her ears perk as she met Centurion's gaze. "There you are!" Arika exclaimed with her Australian accent as she rushed to Centurion. "Where were you?! I'm supposed to introduce you to my dad today!"
"Oh shoot!!" Centurion exclaimed as he slammed his palm against his forehead. "I forgot!!" His face had 'forgetful idiot' written all over it. "Let's go right now!" He exclaimed as he grabbed both the wrists of Arika and the lemon-spotted Dalmatian, Umbravivo, and rushed back into town.
As the three departed, Chase smirked for a moment. "I think that's the first time I've seen Umbravivo smile in a long time."
The thought warmed the hearts of the other six pups... Ever since Umbravivo and Arika had gotten together the week before, Umbravivo was noticeably happier, rather than the seemingly pessimistic demeanor he held throughout each and every day. He barely smiled, he barely cracked a joke... He really was the complete opposite of Arabella. With Arika in his life, Umbravivo was the happiest pup ever.
Scene 5: The Surf Shop - Adventure Bay Beach
(Scene Change: Arika's Badge)
After Centurion calmed down for a moment, Arika led the two tall canines to her father's surf shop. The place had an assortment of surf-related merchandise from boards to clothing to swimwear, and other water-related merchandise. As the Weimaraner girl opened the door, a soft bell chimed for a moment, and sounded once again as the door closed behind Centurion.
"Dad!" Arika called out through the barren shop. Umbravivo was off to the side looking at some of the shirts, debating on whether he should buy one or not. "Dad, you there?" She called again. No answer. Arika shrugged her shoulders and turned around to face Centurion and Umbravivo, who were still browsing through the merchandise, and said, "I guess he must've taken off for the-"
She was interrupted by an abruptly loud bang and a crash. It sounded like a large amount of boxes tumbling over. Near the back of the store, a lone Weimaraner adult lay on the floor surrounded by new merchandise that inevitably fell on him. After a few moments cringing, he turned his head to the side and widened his eyes. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed across the store to the register with sandals, shorts and a tank-top with a shark tooth around his neck. In a thick Australian accent, he greeted Arika with an embarrassed tone. "G'day, sweetie!" He smiled. "How's life with the PAW Patrol goin'?" He leaned on the counter with a hand on his hip, attempting to look cool like nothing ever happened.
"Yeah... Real smooth, Dad..." Arika sighed as Umbravivo and Centurion stood to either side of her. As she cleared her throat, she gestured to Umbravivo and Centurion to introduce them. "Dad, this is Umbravivo Cavalier and Centurion Wächter-Veritate."
"It's an honor to meet you, sir." Umbravivo smiled as he extended his hand, which Arika's father shook heartily. He did the same with Centurion as well.
Arika's father stood there in awe. "I can't believe I'm shaking hands with members of the PAW Patrol... It's pleasure!" Hearing Centurion's last name, he figured it was German, so he decided to crack a joke. "Speaking of which, that reminds me... I deleted the phone numbers of all Germans from my cell phone... Now it's Hans free." He chuckled and smirked at his own joke.
"Dad!" Arika exclaimed whilst blushing immensely in embarrassment. "Did you have to?!"
"Is that a poke at me being German?" Centurion chuckled and tilted his head as he asked the embarrassed Weimaraner girl.
Muffled against Umbravivo's arm, she replied, "Yes!" Centurion then began to completely crack up after that. After relinquishing her embarrassed face from Umbravivo's shoulder, she gestured to her father and remarked, "Ladies and gentlemen, Jiemba..."
Jiemba continued to laugh for a moment. "It's all in good fun, Arika." His laughter ceased and was replaced with shock and awe when the Weimaraner noticed how the sheer amount of scars and burns that riddled Umbravivo's body, even though the lemon-spots and scars are clearly distinguished and recognizable. "What happened to you?!" He exclaimed in worry.
"Gas explosion." Umbravivo replied. "Killed my parents. I charged into the burning building to save them. I was seven."
Jiemba was silent for a moment. "Oh... I'm sorry to hear that..."
Arika rolled her eyes and replied, "Dad, this is my boyfriend." She tightly hugged Umbravivo's left arm as the lemon-spotted Dalmatian smiled at Jiemba.
Jiemba raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "When did this happen?" He asked with a devious smile. "Not that I have a problem with it, of course..."
"Last week." answered Umbravivo with his British accent.
The Weimaraner smirked once more and leaned a bit over the counter towards the young couple. "So, did you guys have your first kiss yet? And who made the first move?"
"She did!" The lemon-spotted Dalmatian wasted no time with ratting out Arika to her father. He simply pointed at her. She was about to come up with a well-though explanation to the whole scenario, but Umbravivo demolished it like he does with obstacles in a mission.
After a moment of another embarrassed silence, Arika asked, "So, Dad, find a nice girl yet?"
"None fitting to be a mother figure for the lil' devil..." Jiemba smirked. Speaking of which, barreling through the store was a young, toddler-sized Weimaraner boy with only a pair of shorts, a bandanna, and no shirt came rushing towards Arika. "Speak of the devil." he laughed.
"Ari!!" the young boy exclaimed.
Arika gasped in happiness as she hugged the young boy and lifted him up. "Hey, Jarli!"
"Brother?" Centurion asked.
"Yep..." Arika groaned as Jarli wagged his tail furiously, and occasionally tugging at Arika's ears, or reached for Umbravivo's. "Wow, you gained like... Ten pounds..."
Jarli paid no attention to Arika's remark, and continued to play around with her ears. "Arika, can I come with you on your next mission?"
"No." Arika smiled.
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeaaase?"
"No."
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaasseee?!"
"No, Jarli." Arika said as she gave her brother a semi-serious look. Jarli then began to whimper a bit and give his sister a large pair of puppy-eyes. "Not gonna work."
Seeing this made Centurion begin to tear up. As the tears swelled in his eyes, he thought of how he never had this. A family. Umbravivo had his parents for a time, and even then, he had Maximillian and Arabella. Beryl had her parents until she moved out, Frostbound had the meteorologists, Tierra cared for a pup named Quill... Centurion was alone for as long as he could remember until he found the PAW Patrol.
As Jiemba walked in front of the counter, he took Jarli off of Arika's hands. "Well, I'm taking off for the night now... Gonna bring this lil' guy to the beach... See ya later!" With that, Jiemba walked out of the shop with Jarli at his side.
"Nice guy." Centurion said.
"Come on, let's go back to the Lookout before he embarrasses me any more..." Arika said while red still flushed throughout her cheeks.
(Scene Transition: PAW Patrol Badge)
As the three PAW Patrol pups made their way back to the Lookout, Jiemba and Jarli were on the beach. Jiemba was stood with his hands behind his head, his feet felt warm against the sand as he admired the sunset. The young Jarli was playing in the sand. He noticed something move in the sand, so he squatted down to observe it. A red crab scuttled along the ground in front of Jarli from side to side. Soon, Jarli found himself chasing after a seagull, but it flew away when he got close to it. Jarli whimpered slightly in a small degree of sadness.
The curious young pup ventured further away from his father. "Don't go too far, Jarli!" Jiemba called out.
"I won't!" Jarli replied. Of course, the young pup didn't listen to his father. He simply wandered off farther, eventually finding himself on the sidewalk bordering the beach. When the Weimaraner boy looked down, he saw a lizard crawling along the sidewalk. The lizard looked up at the boy, wore a brief smile as he hissed his tongue playfully, and began to scurry way. Jarli smiled, giggled for a moment, and began to follow. He followed the lizard along the sidewalk. He wasn't aware of how far or for how long he chased the lizard, but was a good distance away from his father. Jarli wasn't paying attention as he turned a corner and bumped into someone's leg. The young pup fell to the ground with a subtle "Oof!"
A beauteous White Shepherd knelt down to tend to the fallen pup. "Oh, I'm sorry!!" She exclaimed with worry. "Are you okay?" Jarli was too distracted by the symbol she wore, reminiscent of one worn by the PAW Patrol. On the left side chest was a symbol that looked like a Pup Tag symbol... A diamond. That's what she wore. She even had a Pup Tag of her as well, with the same symbol on it.
"Are you... PAW Patrol?" The young Weimaraner asked with an ecstatic smile on his face as he and the White Shepherd woman stood up.
"No, I'm not... But my son is." She replied. "I'm Estela. Where are your parents, young man?"
Jarli blushed and chuckled for a moment. "Young man... I like the sound of that!" This made Estela giggle for a moment. "You're pretty!" Jarli smiled. Soon after, rushing towards them from the beach was a tall Weimaraner male with a shark tooth around his neck and a large bite on his leg. Estela teared up at the sight of him, being instantly reminded of Adelrik... She froze for a moment.
"There you are, Jarli!" Jiemba said as he took a hold of the Weimaraner pup's hand. "Don't run off like that!" He noticed Estela and quickly widened his eyes in awe of her beauty. "I... Uhh... I'm sorry... Did he cause you any trouble?"
Estela, breaking out of her trance, blushed and giggled for a moment. "No, he didn't."
Jiemba noticed the symbol that Estela wore. "Are you PAW Patrol?" He asked.
"No, but I'm very close with them. They gave me a Pup Tag to make sure I'd always be in close touch in case anything ever happened to me."
"Wow... They're much more caring than I thought!" Jiemba chuckled. "My daughter is actually a Trainee for them."
Estela smiled in surprise. "Really? That's fascinating!"
Jiemba scratched the back of his head in a bragging demeanor. His eyes widened as he extended his hand. "Where are my manners?! My name's Jiemba."
Estela smiled and shook hands with the Weimaraner. "I'm Estela. Pleasure to meet you!" She said with her Italian accent.
"Look, if my son caused you any trouble, I'm really sorry..." said Jiemba with an apologetic face. "I could buy you a cup of coffee sometime, if you'd like. To make up for this lil' guy here..."
"It's young man, Dad!" exclaimed Jarli. "She called me young man, and I like the way it sounds!"
Jiemba rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh, give me a break, Jarli..."
The White Shepherd blushed and giggled at the invitation. They just met, and he was already so kind. "That's very thoughtful of you, Jiemba..." Estela smiled. Hesitantly, she accepted the offer. "Sure. That sounds delightful."
Scene 6: Estela's Apartment & Jiemba's Surf Shop
(Scene Change: Rocky's Badge)
A week had went by...
Jiemba and Estela had met each other for a different activity almost every day for the past week. Centurion was called out to the city of New Estermere for a mission with a few other pups. There was a problem with the ski lifts, and was made worse by an avalanche. Centurion, Tundra, Everest, Frostbound, Rubble, Saracco, Chase and Skye were gone for the entire time Jiemba and Estela were seeing each other. Arika had quite the surprise for Centurion and Tundra when they returned. The three pups were standing outside Estela's apartment when Arika delivered the news.
"What?!" Centurion exclaimed. "Are you sure?! MY mother?!"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure!" Arika snapped back with her arms crossed. "What should we do? Should we tell Estela?"
"No!!" Tundra exclaimed with a devious smile as she sandwiched her face between that of Centurion and Arika. "This is a golden opportunity! A wondrous chance given to us!" She waved her hand out in front of them as she wanted them to gaze into the beautiful distance. But there was nothing in the distance except a grayish-purple wall.
Arika backed up for a moment. "Yeah... I'm gonna go see my dad... At least make conversation with him about the 'new woman' in his life..."
"I'm gonna talk to my mother..." Centurion said as he went to open the apartment door. "I'll see you around, Tundra..."
"Don't mess up the connection!" Tundra smirked. "I'll see you around, Centurion... I gotta go spend some time with Rocky!"
As Centurion opened the door, he greeted his mother with a typical, "I'm home..." When he closed the door, Centurion looked around for his mother, and found her lying on the couch, clenching a pillow against her chest, while trapped in a state of infatuation... The very thought of Jiemba made her hot all over... He's incredibly kind... Funny... Cares very deeply for his family, and also very honest... She loved everything about him... And what he asked her that day. "You seem awfully happy today, Mother." Centurion smirked as he placed his Pup Pack down against the wall, and then chomped into a green apple.
"I met the perfect man earlier this week..." Estela sighed as she stared at the ceiling.
Centurion smirked as he took another bite of the apple. "Well that's good..." He said. "What's he like?"
"Fantastic..." Estela sighed once more, still engaged in her state of infatuation. "He does remind me of Adelrik... I don't know if it's the personality... Or the fact that he's a Weimaraner... I'm not sure... All I know is that I really like him... And I can't believe he actually did that..."
Centurion paused in shock for a moment, ceasing the consumption of his apple. "What did he do?" asked the Weimaraner-Shepherd in absolute anxiety.
"You asked her out?!" Arika exclaimed as she leaned across the counter in her father's surf shop. She couldn't believe what she had just told him! "Are you crazy?! You met her last week?! I hope she slapped you for that!"
"She said yes." Jiemba smirked. "This is one of the happiest moments in my life..." It was evident to Arika that her father didn't know that Estela is Centurion's mother, else he would have said so, and would have reacted accordingly. "Think you can babysit Jarli while I'm out tonight?"
Arika growled at her father for a moment. After calming down for a while, she replied, "Fine... But I still can't believe you right now..."
Jiemba laughed for a moment. "I can't believe me either! But I gotta get ready for tonight!"
As Arika angrily stormed out of the shop, she walked back towards the Lookout. She took out her Pup Tag and called Centurion. When he answered, Arika was not happy. "So my Dad's dating your Mom..."
"Yeah, I know..." Centurion replied. "I'll meet you at the Lookout... But to my knowledge, your father doesn't know that Estela is my mother... But... I think I got an idea..."
Arika rolled her eyes as a group of guys cat-called at her. She turned to them, posed all cutesy for a moment and then presented her PAW Patrol Pup Tag to them. As they hastily ran away from her, Centurion heard Arika yell something in a language he didn't understand. "Alright, what's your idea?"
"We spy on their date tonight." Centurion said.
The Weimaraner girl stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened in complete shock as she was debating on hanging up and marching over to the Lookout to pummel Centurion for even thinking of a ridiculous idea like that. "No way. Absolutely not, Centurion. Besides, even if I wanted to, which I don't... I have to babysit Jarli tonight..."
Centurion laughed for a moment. "So glad I'm an only child..."
"Shut up, Centurion..." Arika sighed as she approached the Lookout. The two hung up their Pup Tags as Centurion walked through the glass doors and stood before Arika. "Really?"
"Did you get cat-called?" Centurion asked.
"Yes..." Arika sighed, blushing a bit.
Centurion rolled his eyes. "Jeez, these guys... I'll get them later..." Arika giggled for a moment. "But, speaking of babysitting Jarli, just get Marshall to do it."
The Weimaraner girl was silent for a moment, completely appalled by Centurion's deviousness. She didn't know that he could get this sly! She expected something like this from Frostbound! "Alright... Let's spy on our parents' first date..."
Scene 7: Adventure Bay Seaside Restaurant - Nighttime
(Scene Change: Umbravivo's Badge)
The time finally came for the Estela and Jiemba's first date. Jiemba was taking her to a lovely seaside restaurant in Adventure Bay... Cap'n Turbot's recommendation to anyone looking for a good surf and turf place. There was even live music and a small wooden dance floor on the deck overlooking the Adventure Bay Sea. This is where Jiemba and Estela's first date would take place... This is where Centurion and Arika would spy on them.
As Jiemba and Estela were escorted to a table next to the railing of the deck, overlooking the sea, Centurion and Arika lie upon the rooftops across the street from the restaurant, equipped with their Pup Tags. binoculars, and a bag of popcorn. "So what happened? Did I miss anything?" Centurion asked as he lied down on his stomach next to Arika, who was silently gazing at their parents with her binoculars.
"They just sat down, Century..." Arika whispered. "Clam down..."
"Clam down?" said Centurion as he gave a look to Arika. "Clam down?! Did you just say 'Clam down'?!"
Arika blushed as she was silent for a moment. "Shut up..." She said. "I got infected with whatever virus makes my dad make those awful puns..."
Centurion rolled his eyes and chomped on some popcorn. "We are so grounded." He said with a mouthful of popcorn.
"Oh yeah." Arika nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, as Jiemba and Estela awaited their meals, the White Shepherd took notice of the shark tooth around the Weimaraner's neck, and the large bite wound on his leg. "Jiemba..." Estela said curiously. "You never told me how you got that scar on your leg..."
Jiemba chuckled for a few seconds and looked around for a bit. In a somewhat boasting manner, he replied, "You know, I am a pretty good surfer... I love to surf! I surf almost all the time..." He explained. "Haven't done it recently because I have to watch after Jarli most of the time...."
"Yes, of course... Young children can be like that..." Estela smiled. "We were all once that small..." She thought of Centurion for a moment... Jiemba was still completely oblivious to the fact that Estela is a single mother. In fact, she's the most beautiful single canine mother in town.
"Well, I was surfing one day, and this shark comes along... And I don't know what I did to the creature, but it jumped up and took a strong hold of me leg!" Jiemba exclaimed. "Just... whomp! Crunches down on my leg and doesn't let go..."
Estela's blue eyes widened at this. She was completely speechless, and stuck in a state of awe. "That sounds painful..."
"It was!" said Jiemba, almost slamming his glass of water on the table. "But I wasn't hurt too badly... Now it just looks cool..." He took another sip of water from his glass, and then proposed the question, "So how did you get involved with the PAW Patrol? I notice you carry around a Pup Tag, and even I don't have one..."
The White Shepherd was extremely hesitant to answer... If Jiemba found out that Centurion is Estela's son... Would he call off the relationship? Would he think that she was cheating on someone? There were too many variables in play... Jiemba is proud of Arika for making it into the PAW Patrol, and Estela is proud of Centurion as well... However she truly does really like this Weimaraner, and she doesn't want to ruin this. Estela decided to tell a half-truth instead... "They rescued me when I was kidnapped by criminals..." She explained. "They took me as a hostage, and threatened me if Centurion and some of the other PAW Patrol members didn't do what they wanted... It was a whole fiasco..."
Meanwhile, on the rooftops, Arika and Centurion continued their 'Mission: Impossible' routine... Centurion had placed a spy speaker beneath the deck an hour beforehand, so they can listen in on the conversation.
"What are they talking about?" Arika asked eagerly.
Centurion listened for a moment. "The PAW Patrol... Us... Your dad's scar... And why my mother has a Pup Tag..."
Arika looked in shock at the Weimaraner-Shepherd. "Your mom has a Pup Tag?!" She exclaimed. "Why?!"
"Ryder and I gave it to her after we rescued her! Just to keep in touch, just in case anything happens..." Centurion replied. Arika simply rolled her eyes...
The date was going smoothly. Estela was raised on manners and etiquette, so she knew what to do and what not to do. She was actually quite surprised at how well-mannered Jiemba was. Aside from a crab leg that broke and hit him in the face, which the two simply laughed off, the date went well...
Before they left, however, the perfect moment was upon them... Jiemba had took Estela's waist and danced with her on the floor for a quick song... They even sung along... A beautiful rhythm under the moonlight with the ocean in the background. Truly the opportune moment. It was here that Estela truly fell for the Weimaraner...
As Arika and Centurion watched them dance, the two sighed in happiness... They hadn't seen their parents this happy in a long time... Arika was leaning her head on Centurion's shoulder, and to completely shatter the moment, Arika felt someone lie down next to her. She and Centurion abruptly turned their heads to the right, and saw a young Weimaraner boy next to them, nibbling on a sandwich. Jarli turned to Arika and Centurion and asked, "What?"
"Why are you here?!" Arika whisper-yelled while slamming her hand on the roof. "Marshall was supposed to be watching you!!"
Centurion chuckled, "That was your first mistake, Arika..." He laughed for a few moments as Arika shot a glare at him.
"The Dalmatian fell asleep, and I was bored. I followed a firefly, and then I saw you guys on the roof." Jarli said. "So here I am."
"Where'd you get the sandwich?" asked Centurion.
"Marshall made it for me." Jarli replied with a mouthful of salami, lettuce, and cheese.
Centurion and Arika both rolled their eyes as Centurion replied, "You'd better pay Marshall extra for dealing with this kid..."
After a few minutes of dancing, Jiemba and Estela took a quick walk on the beach. They simply admired the calm waters of the bay and the sky, completely blanketed in stars and constellations, a perfect setting to a perfect night. Of course, they were tailed by the shadows called Centurion and Arika... And a miniature shadow named Jarli... Afterwards, Jiemba and Estela stood on the sidewalk in front of the beach, about to say their goodbyes to each other for the night.
"Well..." Estela sighed, red flushing through her cheeks. "I had fun tonight... I really enjoyed this evening."
Jiemba chuckled for a moment. "Yeah... Me, too..." There was an awkward silence that permeated itself into the scene for a short moment. Estela and Jiemba just awkwardly stood about, blushing in silence. Breaking that silence, Jiemba said, "You know, you really are something very special... Unique... Exactly like a diamond, maybe even like the one you wear on your jacket."
Estela blushed even more at that... "Th-... Thank you, Jiemba..." She smiled and giggled for a moment. Giggling... Something she hadn't done in a long time... "So, I'll see you tomorr-"
Soon after, a gray Weimaraner girl with a swimsuit top and black shorts approached Jiemba, with a silver-blue Weimaraner boy grasping her hand. Arika approached her father and put on an act. "Hey, Dad!" She smiled, interrupting Estela.
"Arika!" Jiemba exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Arika simply smiled deviously and replied, "Jarli couldn't sleep, so I'm taking him out for a quick walk by the beach. It's quite the coincidence, actually, so we can all go home together!"
Shattering the quiet serene of the night, a motorcycle revved up, and stopped alongside the group. The motorcycle was clearly of a chrome color, bearing wings on each side. Estela and Jiemba looked on in complete awe. The driver removed his helmet to reveal the Weimaraner-Shepherd underneath.
"Can I help you?" Jiemba said as the driver eyed Estela.
Centurion eyed Jiemba for a moment, looked him up and down, and directed his gaze back at the White Shepherd, who was blushing in both flattering and embarrassment. "Hey, Mom." Centurion smirked.
"MOM?!?!" exclaimed a completely star-struck Jiemba as he stumbled back for a moment. His eyes appeared as if they would pop out of his head. "Mom?! You didn't tell me you have a son!"
Arika and Centurion exchanged devious grins as Arika said, "Yeah, Estela Veritate, mother of Centurion Wächter-Veritate. You didn't know?"
Jiemba tripped over his words as he answered Arika back, Jarli was simply laughing at the scene. "I knew their last names, but I didn't think they were related!!"
"Oh boy..." Centurion laughed. He turned to Estela, which was clearly distressed.
Estela let out a low growl and said, "Centurion... I don't care that we're in public... You going to tell me right now... Why are you here?"
Centurion rolled his eyes, obviously not caring very much, and replied, "I was on the way to the supermarket. It was movie night at the PAW Patrol, and we're out of popcorn. I went to get more because I have the fastest vehicle." He made up the lie on the spot. Highly believable... He fooled Jiemba, but not Estela. "I saw you just now, and wondered if you needed a ride home."
Estela raised an eyebrow at her son. She shook her head and muttered, "I'm done..." She turned to Jiemba and apologized for her son. "I'm so sorry, Jiemba..."
Jiemba chuckled for a moment. "No need!" He smiled. "At least he wasn't spying on us... Even then, he's just looking out for you. He obviously cares very deeply for his mother."
Hearing this made Estela tear up. As tears flowed down her face, she leaned in and kissed Jiemba's cheek, causing the Weimaraner to blush immensely. She got on the back of Centurion's bike without another word.
As Centurion and Estela drove away, leaving an ecstatic Arika, a love-struck Jiemba, and a happy-but-confused Jarli on the beach, Estela smirked at her son... So much of Adelrik was within him...
"Centurion?" The White Shepherd said with a devilish tone. "You and Arika were spying on us, weren't you?"
"Oh yeah." Centurion replied without skipping a beat.
This night proved many important facts... Estela found the perfect keystone for her vacant heart, Marshall isn't good at babysitting, and both Arika and Centurion sense a bright future for Estela and Jiemba.
Looks like Tundra was right...